


Clockwork Hearts

by PerfectlyHopeless



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alchemy and automatons. That kinda thing, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Marco has a mechanical arm because I couldn't keep him intact here, Multi, Not centered around relationships, Slight mystery, You Have Been Warned, aside from jeanmarco and mikannie because those are important, there will eventually be some graphic violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-15
Updated: 2014-09-26
Packaged: 2018-02-08 23:26:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1960161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerfectlyHopeless/pseuds/PerfectlyHopeless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All Armin wanted was to stay in his massive house with his books, his closest friend constantly breaking into his house every other day just to make sure he didn't get lonely.<br/>Jean was a struggling researcher that wanted nothing more than to keep his best friend safe and away from harm. </p><p>Their association with Wings of Freedom, an organization dedicated to monitoring The Industry, won't let them.<br/>When automatons go mad, it's up to them and Wings to save Trost from the masterminds that are trying to condemn them all.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rude Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren needs to learn how to knock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~ I'm Hopeless, if you didn't know that before. I've liked steampunk for a while now and some time ago I finally decided to write this. I have a crap-ton of notes and the plot for this is more or less in place. Now just comes the writing and posting.  
> (One more head's up before you go: I've always seen Hanji as female, so that's what I'm going with in this)
> 
> I've done a good bit of research for this little universe I've created, so I hope you'll enjoy <3

* * *

Quiet. It’s too quiet, though when living alone in a massive house it tends to be that way. But there was something unsettling about it today.

“Stop worrying,” he scolded himself, his fingers absentmindedly toying with the chain of his pocket watch; one of the last items his grandfather had given to him personally before he passed. It didn’t open, but he still kept it close.

Armin let out a sigh, dropping the chain so he could run a hand through his blonde hair. He made a mental note of the length, almost to his shoulders, before breathing out a sigh.

 _It’ll just grow back faster if I cut it,_ he reasoned, lowering his hand to push open the door to the library. A smile tugged at his lips despite his previous irritability. It was like when he was a little kid again; when he and his grandfather would read books together. He couldn’t remember what had happened to his birth parents, but his grandfather had loved him more than enough for that to even matter anymore.

It had been more than three years since he died, leaving the Arlert estate to the only family member still living. In that time Armin had stopped going to school, instead retreating to the reclusive life he had available to him. All he needed were his books, though the few times he did go outside he’d gotten beat up by other kids with nothing better to do. His friend, Eren, and Eren's sister had come to his rescue numerous times before. He’d known them since they were all little kids, and it seemed that no matter how hard he tried he’d never be as strong as he saw them.

The scent of old paper filled his nose and Armin instantly relaxed into the familiarity. He ran his hand along a row of books, his fingers brushing against the leather bindings and the titles engraved or pressed into their spines. He pried out a couple and made his way to the chairs in a corner to read. It was peaceful and soon enough his eyelids felt heavy. Eventually, he allowed sleep to take control again…

Up until he heard someone shouting.

“Armin! Wake up!” the familiar voice of Eren Jaeger exclaimed loudly. Armin jumped in the chair he was lying on and nearly fell to the hardwood floor, catching himself with his hands.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Armin narrowed his eyes at his best friend and stood up to close some of the distance between them.

“How did you get in here!?” he yelled back, straightening out his clothes. They’d gotten wrinkled while he’d slept. “I changed the locks and they should have kept you out for at least more than a day.”

It wasn’t that he was trying to prevent his friend from visiting; more like trying to teach him not to break into peoples’ homes.

Eren scoffed, folding his arms over his chest and shaking his head while a smirk pulled at his lips. “Those locks won’t do any good when it comes to someone like me, you know.”

Armin sighed and turned his nose up, biting on his tongue to calm himself down. Yes, he was _well_ aware. The mechanized locks he’d installed in the doors of the large house were next to useless around Eren, despite his efforts. The young 18 year old was a mechanical genius and there were few things he enjoyed more than proving that point against Armin’s security system time and time again.

“I’ll have to get Hanji to try harder next time,” he said absentmindedly, picking up the books that had fallen to the ground. Eren followed him as he went to replace the books on their proper shelves.

“How’s that going, by the way?” Eren asked, sticking his hands into his coat pockets. “With Wings, I mean. Anything interesting happen yet?”

“Aside from you giving Hanji a bit of fun by breaking into my house over and over, not much has happened lately,” Armin responded. He put away the last book and stretched his arms above his head, arching his back slightly. “What about you? How are things with Mikasa?”

Eren shrugged. “She’s been distant recently. Don’t know why.”

The blonde looked over his friend, noting the semi-melancholy look on his face before looking towards the entrance to the library. “Did she come with you?”

“Not today,” Eren said simply, absentmindedly walking over to a bookshelf and looking over a row. “She disappeared last night and I haven’t seen her since.”

Armin’s brows furrowed. “Last night?” Eren and Mikasa were brother and sister, though not by blood. It was strange to see them apart, but for Mikasa to have vanished seemed even stranger.

“I wouldn’t think too much about it. Probably a long day at work,” Eren said, turning back around.

Ah. That made sense. Like Armin, Mikasa worked with Wings of Freedom, an organization that dealt with automatons and monitoring the industry as a whole. Eren was associated, but hadn’t officially joined yet. Recently Mikasa had started working undercover at LBH, a company that had recently made an impression on Trost and the surrounding cities. It had also become Wings’ latest project.

The small blonde started to make his way to the exit, his companion following close behind. The house was massive; a status symbol, it seemed. Not that Armin cared about any of that. There were far too many stairs and rooms for his liking. As kids Eren had dragged Armin through most it, exploring as many rooms as possible until they got caught. Armin’s grandfather tried to keep a closer eye on the boys, but he worked for LBH as a researcher and rarely had free time to chase them down.

“So why did you break into my house today?” Armin asked, making a turn down a hall.

“Boredom,” Eren said easily. “You’re the only one that never has anything to do, and I couldn’t bother Jean and Marco because they weren’t home.”

The blonde rolled his eyes jokingly at his friend. “Glad to know I was your second choice.”

Eren frowned and bumped into Armin with his shoulder. “You know it’s not like that. They live closer so they were the first stop.”

“Yeah, I know.” Armin smiled and let out a content sigh, something that shifted into a huff as the sound of chiming bells echoed through the halls.

“Were you expecting anyone?” Eren asked, nodding upwards at the doorbells.

Shaking his head, Armin said, “No, but I think I might know who it is.”

His friend raised a brow and continued to follow the smaller boy to the front door. Eren’s face pinched when he saw the visitors.

“What are you guys doing here?” he asked.

Sasha frowned. “Well, I guess we know what happened to Armin’s locks now,” she commented, her gaze flitting between the boys before landing finally on Armin.

Her companion beside her didn’t seem to pay much attention. “Wings found a new chance for information,” Connie said. “LBH is demonstrating their newest project downtown, and Levi wants us to check it out.”

 _Finally!_ Armin thought, cheering on the inside. As much as he loved reading, he preferred the excitement that sometimes came with working with Wings.

“LBH?” Eren started. “Isn’t that where Mikasa is?”

“That’s right. Why do you ask?” Sasha inquired, her head tilting slightly.

Eren frowned. “No real reason…”

“We can talk about this on our way there,” Connie interrupted, pulling a watch from his waist-coat and checking the time. “The demonstration starts in roughly twenty minutes. Let’s get moving. You too, Eren. Levi said he wanted your opinion of things for when we get back.”

The brunette’s face scrunched up is irritation when he heard Levi’s name. Neither cared much for the other. “Why the hell do I have to be there?”

“Don’t know, don’t really care,” Connie said dismissively. He clearly wanted to get moving. “Just come on already.”

Armin took the lead and exited, Eren following close behind as he reset the locks. “Lead the way.”

Connie nodded and turned sharply on his heel, acting uncharacteristically tense. He and Sasha spoke in hushed tones.

Eren elbowed Armin carefully, slowing the two of them down enough so that they could speak.

“Why do you think Wings wants us to be at the demonstration?” he asked, leaning down slightly to whisper.

Armin furrowed his brows.  “You and I are associated with the organization. It’s not that unusual,” he said in a hushed tone. His expression pulled up into a cheeky smile. “Maybe Levi just wants your genius input on whatever machines LBH is putting out this time.”

Eren rolled his eyes. “If he wanted genius he’d have sent horse-face or Hanji.”

“We are closer to the downtown area. Also, didn’t you mention that Jean and Marco weren’t home?”

“Yes, but that was a while ago now.”

It was Armin’s turn to roll his eyes. “Stop being so dramatic,” he scolded. Eren narrowed his eyes for a moment but his expression softened. The two had been close friends since they were children and neither could stay mad at the other for very long.

The walk downtown was uneventful. Connie and Sasha continued talking about what the other two assumed was work. By the time they saw the crowd of people that conversation came to a halt.

People filled the streets, all of them trying to get a better look at the stage LBH had set up. Connie and Sasha took the lead, shoving their way through people to try and get closer to the front. Eren took hold of Armin’s wrist and pulled him through the crowd so that neither would lose sight of the others.

Armin’s face pinched slightly when they finally stopped. “You didn’t have to grip that hard,” he complained, rubbing at where his friend’s hand had been.

Swallowing, Eren shrugged sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“Quiet you two,” Sasha scolded, frowning at the both of them. “It’s about to start.”

As if on cue three figures emerged onto the stage; a woman and two men. Guards stood at a safe distance on the sides. The bulkiest of the figures stepped forward, the sunset revealing his face.

“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Reiner Braun. I’d like to welcome you all to the twenty-fifth annual LBH Products Demonstration!” his loud voice announced, echoing off of the buildings of the downtown district. His presence stirred the crowd before capturing their attention completely. “For a quarter of a century we have been making amazing advancements in automation, and today we bring you our newest creation!” Armin could see the pleased smile on the man’s face as he took a step back and allowed a box to be pushed forward by one of his companions; a tall, lanky young man with a tousled mop of brown hair on his head. The companion stepped around and opened up the box. A simultaneous gasp echoed through the crowd at the sight of the mechanical woman.

“This automaton you see before you is the result of twenty-five years’ worth of work and engineering,” the bulky announcer continued. He turned to the woman behind him and gestured for her to come forth. Once in the light the crowd could see her plain expression and blonde hair that was pulled up into a bun. She retrieved the automaton from its box and stepped aside.

Armin couldn’t figure out what had turned it on, but soon enough the automaton spurred to life. Its back straightened and its hands came together in front of it, standing at attention and awaiting orders. Its movements were fluid, as if it were human. He jumped back slightly when its fake eyes met his gaze and blinked. Eren put his hands on Armin’s shoulders, keeping him steady as his green orbs narrowed at the machine on the stage.

“Using an astounding blend of alchemy and clockwork, we’ve created the perfect machine,” the announcer carried on. “These automatons can be programmed to do nearly any task you wish of it. They’re also capable of learning, so that they can be perfected. They have specific levels of independence, but have been rendered incapable of being completely autonomous.” The announcer smiled proudly and folded his arms over his chest. “Current LBH users and supporters will be capable of owning these masterpieces for a lower price, and the models will be shipped out over the next week. Now, please. Stick around as we prepare for the second part of the show, in which the real fun begins.” He nodded to the crowd and took a step back, the woman going back to the automaton to turn it off.

The crowd buzzed with energy as soon as Mr. Braun had stepped away, the usual downtown business once again incorporating itself with the audience.

“Well, that was… interesting,” Armin said, still slightly shaken by the fact the machine had stared at him. He straightened his navy vest and started fiddling with the pocket watch chain out of habit.

“That’s one word for it,” Sasha said, her hands on her hips as she stared at the stage. “I wonder what kind of alchemy they’re using. I’ve never seen anything like it. And that model. Hanji would just love to get her hands on that.”

“She’ll have her chance, soon enough. Or as soon as Mikasa finally does her fucking job,” Connie said, shaking his head. With a sigh he looked back up at her and said, “Don’t forget we’re going to the official demo tonight.”

Sasha huffed. “Oh joy. Fancy clothes. Surrounded by rich people while we’re being served by machines. Sounds _lovely_ ,” she sneered.

Connie scoffed. “Get over it, it’s your job,” he said, frowning at her. She’d grown up outside of the city, away from all of the technology, so despite her fascination she was reluctant to actually being around them.

“Yeah, and don’t remind me. What’s the point of this, anyway? Seeing as most of the people in this city don’t have nearly enough money to pay for the LBH machines.”

“It’s a formality,” Armin answered, getting their attention. “They’re based up in the Sina district, but it’s their way of keeping up appearances. If they come across as a company for a society as a whole, then they’ll have more supporters and customers.”

“And you know this how?” Sasha asked, though they all knew the answer.

“From books I’ve read,” he supplied, a proud smile on his face.

“That much is understood,” Eren said. He finally let go of Armin’s shoulders and folded his arms across his chest, face pinched in irritation. “What I don’t understand is why we were dragged out here. You guys are going to the formal tonight, so what was the point of having us come along to this?”

Connie huffed. “I already told you, Levi wanted all of us here for this. If you want specifics, then you’ll have to go to him.”

Armin looked back at Eren and furrowed his brows. Eren’s eyes were closed and his face was still pinched, this time in thought. They snapped open and Armin jumped back slightly. Green met with blue as he looked at his friend.

“Seems like we’re going to see Levi this evening,” he said.

The blonde raised a brow at this. “ _We?_ ”

“Yes, _we_ ,” he said. “You need to get out of that house more often, anyways.”

“What’s wrong with my house?” Armin insisted, folding his arms over his chest and pouting slightly.

“Nothing, but you’ve been getting lost in your books more recently. Remember how I found you asleep in the library earlier?” Eren said, shaking his head. “Besides, maybe you can get Hanji to make a better lock system.”

Blue eyes glared at him from behind as he started walking forward. “We’ll see you guys tomorrow, then.”

They bid each other farewell and went in their different directions.

The Wings base was located downtown, a small set up that didn’t look like much from the outside. There was no flashy sign. Nothing glaring that alerted the public to their presence. The only thing was a small emblem carved into the door, just above the doorknob. It was small, but everyone in in the entirety of the Rose district knew about the organization. Most people thought that the mere existence of Wings was pointless; that automatons were harmless and incapable of doing anything.

But that was why Wings existed. To make sure this remained the case.

Eren stared at the door once they’d gotten there. Armin pushed his way forward, pulling a key from his pocket.

“We don’t need you picking these locks too,” the blonde murmured, sticking the key into the hole. Gears whirred and bolts clicked back as the clockwork released. When the clicks stopped Armin put his hand on the doorknob and turned. It opened easily and silently, yet already their presence was known.

“Armin!” Hanji’s cheerful voice called from down the hall. Laughter and footsteps could be heard as she came up the stairs from her workshop. The engineer’s goggles were perched on her head, hazel eyes shining brightly as she ran forward to wrap her arms around the boys’ necks. “Ahaha! I had a feeling you guys would get here soon. How was the demo downtown?”

Armin smirked and patted her arm so she would let go. “Hello Hanji. Eren had some questions for Levi, actually. Is he here?”

“He’s still at the demo, actually,” she said pulling back and straightening out her shirt and the corset she wore over it. There was oil on her leathers that told them she’d been working on something recently. “Surprised you didn’t run into him. But I’m glad you’re here! I’ve something to show you.” Hanji beamed at them before turning on her heel, her boots falling heavy on the hardwood as she made her way back down the hall. The boys exchanged weary looks before following her.

Of all the rooms in the base the workshop was the most impressive. It always smelled of oil and metal, and disassembled automatons lined the wall, their bodies in pieces and positions that to anyone besides her would look especially creepy. Hanji was fascinated with the things, however, and wasn’t fazed in the slightest by the machines.

Spark lanterns illuminated the room with artificial light. Hanji pulled a switch and turned one on, pulling her goggles back down over her eyes as she opened up a cabinet filled with papers. She made humming sounds as she moved to pull out a lump of folded papers. “Can you move her over to the wall?” she said to no one specific, nodding to the automaton she’d been working on before they’d come in. Eren nodded, being the stronger of the two physically. He pulled the machine off of the worktable as Hanji came over and slammed down the papers. She continued humming as she looked through them.

“I just saw it…” she muttered to herself, tucking a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear. Hanji’s face pinched as she fingered through the papers. Her face pulled up into a massive grin and she cheered in success. “Aha! Found it!”

Armin shifted where he stood uneasily. “What exactly is _it_?” he asked, the chain between his fingers again.

“ _It_ is a copy of the prototype blueprints Mikasa managed to get off of LBH last night,” Hanji explained, lying out the paper with fading pencil sketches. Eren furrowed his brows but kept his mouth shut about his sister, the conflicting information he’d been receiving surely screwing with his head. “I tried to build one to the specifications marked here, but for some reason it wouldn’t work.” She pushed off the worktable and stepped back over to the wall. Armin watched as she looked over the dismantled machines before pulling one up and laying it vertically across the table so that it’s legs hung over the edge. “I’m certain I got most of the mechanics right, which means that whatever alchemy they’re using… Hm…”

She stared pensively through the lenses of her goggles and hummed again, her face pinched as she concentrated. Armin felt semi-useless as he stood between the other two, staring at the chicken scratch on the blueprints. His eyes scanned over what looked like personal notes, but they weren’t in any language he’d seen before.

 _What is that?_ he thought, leaning in closer to try and see the characters. It certainly wasn’t English, and he’d read books about the languages of surrounding areas. _It’s familiar, but…_

And then it hit him. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. “Why are there runes on this!?” he exclaimed, running a finger over the already fading characters. The only other time he’d seen runes was when he and Eren were snooping around in his grandfather’s study. It was one of the few times he’d ever been yelled at as a child.

“You noticed them too, huh?” Hanji said, leaning forward beside him. Her hands adjusted her goggles as she stared at the paper. “Unfortunately Jean is the only one that could translate them, so we’re stuck until we can get him down here tomorrow.”

Eren’s face had contorted into a look of confusion. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Alchemists tend to protect their notes. Something about privacy,” Hanji explained, pulling her goggles back up so that they sat on top of her head. She rubbed at her eyes as she spoke. “The most common script they use are these runes. They usually translate as a whole into chemicals or whatever magic charms they tend to use. Normal engineers like us don’t have any use for them, and to a civilian it'd be damn near alien. But for alchemists those runes are the most important part of their work. According to these blueprints, these automatons are infused with alchemy. In other words, seeing as he’s our only alchemist right now, until we get Jean down here we won’t have a clue as to what they say.”

Armin tapped Hanji on the shoulder to get her attention. “Hey, my grandfather used to be a researcher. There’s probably something about runes in his old journals. If you let me take the blueprints home I could try to translate some of them. It would make Jean’s work easier.”

The engineer’s face lit up like a spark lantern. “That’d be great! And you’ll have to let me into your library sometime,” she said, hinting at her want and nudging at him with her shoulder.

Eren scoffed. “The day you voluntarily leave the base will be the day pigs fly,” he thought out loud.

Hanji’s smile quickly curled up into a creepy grin. “Don’t tempt me,” she warned, her tone darker than usual. Eren’s eyes widened and his breath caught in his chest. The engineer started cackling. “Hahaha! ‘Ey, no worries. I’m not going to start experimenting with living creatures just yet.”

Armin’s face paled and he swallowed down a lump that had formed in his throat. _Yet…_

Smiling at the boys, she bounced on the heels of her boots and folded the blueprints up. “Here you go,” she said, handing it to him. “I sketched a secondary copy without the runes earlier, so I’ll use that while you boys try to translate things.”

He nodded and looked up at Eren. “Shall we go then?”

Eren nodded. “Yeah.”

Armin smiled up at Hanji and nodded a thank you before they left, relocking the door behind him. The gears worked their way back into place with several satisfying clicks. He put the key back in his pocket and held onto the blueprints carefully as he started down the sidewalk. Eren followed close beside him.

“So how is this going to work?” the taller boy asked, matching the pace set by his companion.

“My grandfather kept a lot of field journals during his time at the company. There’s bound to be a guide somewhere,” Armin said, confident.

Nodding, Eren kept quiet until they returned to Armin’s home. He pulled the same key from his pocket, and inserted it into keyhole.

“Why are the locks the same?” Eren asked, brows furrowed.

“Because I trust Wings, and Hanji is the one that makes my locks,” was the simplified answer he received. Green eyes rolled as they worked their way to the library, and through that the study.

The door and its knob were covered in a thin layer of dust. Armin hadn’t had reason to go into the study in a long time, and he couldn’t even remember why he’d gone in there last. Now, however, they were looking for specifics.

His blue orbs scanned the room, noting the possible hiding places for an old alchemist’s notes. He nodded towards a bookcase and said, “You check that, I’ll check the desk.”

Eren nodded again and set to work as Armin moved across the room. Several of the drawers on the desk had broken over the years, making searching around easier.

Researchers weren’t simple people by any stretch of the imagination. Engineers dealt with clockwork and mechanics. Alchemists rarely strayed far from their field of study. Researchers were an odd combination of the two, often capable of comprehension of materials on levels that an average person couldn’t fathom understanding.

Obviously one would think that their possessions would be harder to find, but that wasn’t the case at all. Within minutes the two of them had pulled out several notebooks.

“Think this is a good starting point?” Eren asked, a total of four books in his arms.

Armin nodded and picked up the other two that he’d found.

“Alright then. Let’s get started.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jean and Marco will come in the next chapter, and it will be mainly from Jean's PoV. Because I'm not in the mood to do all the relationship building, they're already "together" if you will. There will be more background as the story progresses and other couples will have their moments. There will be slight progression with Armin and Eren to get them to the relationship status, but once again this is story oriented. Not relationship, despite it's place in the story. Don't keep reading if you're expecting porn, because it's not happening.
> 
> (Edit: I've given up, there may be porn but I dunno yet)
> 
> Aside from all of that, I'd appreciate any feedback you have for me. Comments are always a treat, because I'm always striving to improve. But I'll take whatever you're willing to give. 
> 
> I hope you guys stick around! I'm now dealing with a couple fics, but this one has taken my interest so chapter 2 may be up sooner than later.  
> Take care, loves <3


	2. What One Does For Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mysteries abound, and challenges everywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi~ Hopeless here with another chapter. I didn't have a whole lot of motivation until recently. I drew a pretty crappy picture of what I kinda think Hanji looks like, but it's not good. I want to draw the rest of these guys, Marco especially because of his arm, but I fail so hard at art v_v
> 
> Anyways! Back to this! It's shorter than I'd like, but it does have two different points of view. The first is Jean and the second is Mikasa's, where you get a bit of background on her situation. You also get the alchemy terms I created, which is nothing more than ripped-off Latin combos because I'm an unoriginal dork. But even if you manage to translate those fuckers, don't ruin it for everyone else. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Shameless tumblr insert before you leave](http://hopeless-alchemist.tumblr.com/)

* * *

 

 

Sunlight trickled in through the crack between the curtains, shining on his eyelids. There were few things Jean hated more than waking up in the morning. But he was willing do it, because without him the only person he really cared about could get hurt.

With a yawn he sat up in his bed and stretched out his arms, bending backwards until he felt something in his lower back pop. Still groggy from sleep, he rubbed out his eyes and got out of bed to go about his usual routine of getting ready for another day of reluctant existing.

“Jean! Are you awake yet!?” the perpetually cheery voice of his housemate, Marco Bodt, called from downstairs. A smile made its way across his face and he finished dressing.

“Yeah,” he called back, the knowledge that Marco was waiting for him the only thing keeping his irritation from overwhelming everything else. He straightened out his shirt and worked his way down to the first floor.

Marco smiled brightly when his brown eyes met with amber. Jean glanced down and caught sight of the metal that poked from beneath his friend’s collar. A feeling of guilt filled his stomach at the sight of it, but he pushed it down quickly before the other had a chance to notice.

“Good morning,” Marco said, shifting where he sat on the sofa in the parlor. “Did you sleep well?”

Jean’s face pinched slightly as he made his way over to the sofa, sitting on Marco’s left side so he could lean into him comfortably. He attempted to shut the rest of the world out, finding it difficult to relax.

Shaking his head, Marco didn’t mind it when Jean rested his head against his chest. Kissing the top of his friend’s head, he brought his arm up and started to comb his fingers through Jean’s mop of sandy blonde hair. Jean relaxed significantly with this, enjoying the gentle touch. “Nightmares again?”

Going stiff, Jean bit on his lip and closed his eyes. Yes. It was always nightmares. They were the main reason why he hated sleep and why he hated waking up. The dreams stopped when he woke up, but for a brief period of time he could feel asleep without actually being so. He rarely said anything. He didn’t want to worry Marco anymore. Not when it was supposed to be the opposite way around.

“No, just restless,” was the lie that was eventually given in place of an actual answer. After a moment the two pulled away and Jean nodded to the opposite side of his companion. “What about your arm? Is it giving you any problems?”

Marco shook his head and looked down at his metal hand, flexing his fingers. “No. Nothing that I can tell, anyways.”

“Hrm…” Jean nodded to his friend and said, “I’d like to check on it anyways.”

“Okay.” The both of them stood and started for Jean’s workshop.

The workshop wasn’t much. On one end was a workbench that hardly got any use, and on the other were bookshelves and a desk with papers cluttered everywhere. Marco took a seat on a chair by the bench and started to pull off his shirt as Jean retrieved tools and a small flask of oil.

As always, his heart jumped into his throat when he saw it. Marco’s right arm and shoulder, as well as part of his torso. They were made of metal and, even though he’d made them, often reminded Jean of the creepy automatons Hanji kept in her workshop.

There was no helping it, of course. Jean had done what he had to do to help, even if its existence flooded him with guilt and was a constant reminder of that day.

“Jean?” Marco’s voice said, pulling him out of his daze. “Is everything alright?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” he lied. Swallowing down the lump that had lodged itself in his throat, he stepped forward and set his tools on the bench. Marco sat up straight and remained calm as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and started unscrewing the plating of the metal appendage. He could hear the whirring of the gears as his trained eyes scanned over the clockwork, making sure nothing was broken.

His hands went on autopilot as his mind wandered, dragging him back to when it had all happened. All he could see was his friend, half alive and bleeding out. And then during that sleepless night, as Marco struggled for life, Jean set to work creating something that would keep him alive. The arm had been infused with the healing alchemy and complex charms that had drained most of Jean’s energy. The process of attaching the arm had been hell for Marco, who’d been fading in and out of consciousness despite Jean’s efforts to keep him under as he put him back together.

A hand placed itself on his arm and he froze, only now aware of what was happening. Marco had turned slightly to look up at him with big brown eyes, his freckles like stars. Jean had always liked the night.

“You’re a liar,” was what Marco said, disappointment falling over his expression. He reached up with his good hand and brushed his fingers across Jean’s cheek, skin gathering moisture. He’d been crying.

Clearing his throat, Jean pursed his lips and took a step back. Palming at his face, he started cursing himself for being so weak. It had been over a year. Marco was alive and well. He no longer needed the charms to stay healthy. But there was still that perpetuated sense of dread…

“It’s about the accident, isn’t it? And the nightmares?” Marco said gently.

Jean’s breath caught in his throat but he nodded. In a few quick motions he replaced the thin steel plating and tossed the tools away. Swallowing again, he leaned down and wrapped his arms around Marco’s bare shoulders. He held him tightly, though the older boy wasn’t the one who was close to crumbling. Jean wanted nothing more than the knowledge that they’d be okay now and into the future, but his paranoia had him convinced that they weren’t safe anywhere.

“Every time I try to sleep it’s like I’m back there,” he admitted finally, burying his nose into the crook of Marco’s shoulder. “I’m afraid I’m going to lose you again…”

Marco smiled softly and returned the embrace. “Jean, I’m not going anywhere. You know that, right?” he said, his tone careful.

He knew. He knew that they were safe. But he didn’t know how long that would last. Levi had come to them the previous night, saying they needed to come in the next day. That rarely happened.

“Yeah…”

“We should get ready to go to the base,” Marco said, pressing a quick kiss to Jean’s cheek to get him to loosen his tight grip. Shaking him off, he stood and stretched out his limbs.

The mechanics were ingenious and even Hanji found it impressive. The arm was fully functional, aside from the lack of nerves. A complex charm had been enough to allow Marco’s muscles to relay information to the clockwork beneath the plating. His metal fingers moved as they were meant to and he now had an impressive amount of strength. Within a couple months Marco had adapted quite well to the new appendage, and by now it was hard for him to imagine going about life without it.

Once tools had been put away and clothes had been put back on, the two left the small room.

“So… why do you think Levi wanted us to come in today?” Marco asked, watching as Jean searched for the key to the base.

“Hell if I know,” Jean said bluntly, finally finding the right drawer. He stuffed the key into the pocket of his slacks and found his dark brown coat, his pocket watch already chained to it for whatever reason. Deciding not to question it, he let out a deep breath and looked over at Marco, who was standing against the wall with his arms folded over his chest. That gentle smile was still on his face.

“Guess we’re going to find out.” Marco held his good arm out, clearly expecting Jean to link elbows with him.

Rolling his eyes, Jean humored him. A smile played on his face. “You’re so odd,” he commented, Marco latching onto him.

“Mhm,” he hummed, the smile widening as they started down the street.

Despite how ridiculous he thought they looked, Jean was pleased with the chance to stay as close as possible to Marco. Marco was simply happy to see Jean relax, even just a little. At that point they were content.

Downtown in the morning was relatively busy. Steam cabs drove down the streets and pedestrians yelled to their friends from across the road. Trost was a relatively comfortable place to live. It was relatively quiet. People knew each other but at the same time stayed out of everyone else’s business. Still, were it up to Jean, he’d have moved them further out of the city.

The familiar sight of the door to the base greeted them, the carved insignia above the doorknob starting to look a bit faded. Jean pulled away from Marco so he could find his key. As usual it slid into its lock with ease, as the gears set to work pulling away to allow them entry.

“Hanji!?” he called, stepping in. He held the door open for Marco as he looked around. “Levi!? Are you guys here!?”

“Yeah! We’re down in the shop!” Hanji’s overly excited chirp responded from the back. The two exchanged a look before closing the door and making their way in.

The excitable engineer was hunched over her worktable, setting aside her tools before turning to face the entrance. A bright smile adorned her face when she saw them. “There you are!” she beamed, resetting the lenses of her goggles and pulling them up to rest on her head. “We’ve been waiting for you to get here.  I’ve got something to show you guys.”

Jean looked around the room and lifted a brow. On the other side of the room were Armin and Eren. Armin was seated on the floor, his focus glued to a book. Eren sat on the floor in front of him, trying to get an older automaton working again. A smirk graced Jean’s face as he was briefly reminded of a child that’d been given a toy to keep them occupied.

Hanji lead the boys to her table and pulled out a sheet of blueprints. Humming quietly, she unfolded it and spread it across the table. “There we go,” she thought out loud. “Okay. So Mikasa managed to swipe a sheet of blueprints from the company the other night. I managed to build the automaton to the correct specifications, but it’s not working properly. There are runes on the blueprints, however, meaning some kind of alchemy controlling the whole thing.”

“And you need me to translate the runes?” Jean guessed, seeing as he was the only researcher associated with Wings at that point. They hadn’t had a chance to look for anyone else, and because recently the Military Police had started to get curious it wouldn’t be safe to announce an open job position at that point.

The brunette nodded, glancing at the blueprints. Armin came by her side and pointed to the runes. “Eren and I tried to translate them last night, but we didn’t get much of it done,” he said.

Lips pursed, Jean stepped closer to get a better look. He tuned out Hanji as she started to bother Marco about his arm again, while Armin returned to his book.

 _This looks like basic alchemy,_ he thought, his mind going through the countless notes that were stored in his mind. _Combining metal materials… Rather ingenious on their part. Makes the boning sturdier. Though that doesn’t explain why Hanji’s scrap didn’t work…_

Jean closed his eyes and breathed in deeply through his nose, clearing his thoughts so he could focus.

 _Let’s see…_ _There are a couple terms I’m unfamiliar with…_ His brows furrowed at it. _Vitaes? What the hell is that? Hm… There’s… medens? That’s  part of a healing charm…_

“Why would an automaton need a healing charm?” he thought out loud, breaking his focus to look up. His eyes grew wide at the sight of a topless, blushing Marco, Hanji still looking over his arm. “Um… What are you doing?”

Hanji lowered Marco’s arm and smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry. It’s just so fascinating!”

His gaze travelled to his friend’s bare, freckled torso and he stared for a moment before returning to the task at hand. “I-I was just wondering. When would an automaton need a healing charm?”

Her face pinched at the question. She wasn’t a researcher, but she knew enough about alchemy to know that the statement sounded ludicrous. “When indeed. An automaton isn’t living, so there’s no need for that. Are you sure you’re translating that correctly?”

Jean’s expression was neutral as he stared at her. “Yes, Hanji. But that’s what it says.” He glanced around. “Do you have a pen and paper so I can translate these directly and show you?”

“Mhm, just as sec.” The engineer hopped over to opposite end of the room, briefly flipping on another spark lantern as she pawed through a desk. Within seconds she returned with a notepad and a fountain pen.

Jean nodded a thank you and set back to work.

 _There’s the healing charm… Still no clue what vitaes is._ He wrote down the directly translated runes and his face pinched at the sight of yet another unfamiliar, more complicated term: animiongaes.

“Wow, what the hell is all that?” Hanji said, Jean finally aware of her presence over his shoulder. He licked at his lips and shifted away from her, pushing the chair aside so that she wasn’t hovering over him.

“I’m not actually certain,” Jean admitted, setting the pen down. "There are a lot of terms describing fused metals, but that’s just notes on the frame and structure. It doesn’t have any effect on the machine’s ability to work.”

Hanji’s face pinched and she lowered her goggles over her eyes, fingers moving to adjust the lenses into focus. “You need to work on your penmanship,” she commented. Jean scowled at her as Eren and Armin took interest, coming to join the others at the worktable. “What do these terms mean?”

“Aside from the metal fusing formulae and the healing charms, I’m not sure.” He pointed to a translation. “That term, ‘medens’. I… I remember it from after the accident. When I was making Marco’s arm. It’s used as an abbreviation for a lot of charms intended to heal. It’s normal to use charms on people, obviously. But for whatever reason they’re using it on their automatons.”

Armin neared the table and furrowed his brows, briefly brushing his hair behind his ear. “Aes? Doesn’t that mean ‘metal’?”

Jean lifted a brow. “Yeah, why?”

The little blonde seemed to be staring off into space, his face pulled into a focused expression. Eren nudged into him, pulling him from his daze. “Oh, um, just wondering.”

He wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t press the matter either.

“In any case, we need to figure out what those terms mean. Armin,” Jean started, getting the blonde’s attention. “Would it be okay if we took a trip to your place? You do have a library, after all, and there’s bound to be something in there.”

Armin frowned. “But we already looked through all the journals…”

“I’m not talking about research journals,” he said, cutting him off. “With all those books there’s bound to be something else about alchemy.”

The blonde shifted uncomfortably and Jean felt a pang of guilt hit his stomach. Armin wasn’t used to being around a lot of people, and Jean was more or less inviting himself into the other’s house.

“That sounds fine,” Armin said eventually, hands moving to fidget with his pocket watch. He glanced up at Eren expectantly, awaiting a response from his companion. Eren simply nodded and stuffed his hands into his pockets.  

“I’d love to join you boys, but Levi wants me to keep working on this,” Hanji said, nodding towards the automaton. “Once you’ve got things figured out come on back. I’m not going anywhere.”

He nodded to her and tore the page from the small notebook, stuffing it into his pocket and standing. “We’ll come back later."

Turning her attention back to the automaton, Hanji adjusted her goggles and reached for her tools. The four of them took their leave and exited the building.

Marco was silent as he and Jean followed behind the other two. It made Jean nervous. Usually Marco would try to lighten the mood,  but today was different for whatever reason. They could all feel it. The unsettling sensation that came with the runes. Whatever it meant, there was little chance it was good. Especially with the unfamiliar terms.

_I’ve got a bad feeling about this. About all of it. The healing charms don’t make any sense, and animiongaes? I don’t think I want to know what they’re doing with that…_

The walk didn’t take very long and soon they were standing on Armin’s front porch, the smaller blonde fishing out a key from his pocket. The bolts clicked back and gears turned to release the door. He led them into the massive house and flipped a switch, turning on several spark lanterns that illuminated the entrance.

“I don’t know how much this will help,” Armin said, bringing them to the library. He pulled another switch and more lanterns lit up. “But if there’s anything here, you’re welcome to it.”

Jean blinked several times to adjust to the lighting. They grew wide at the sight. He’d been in Armin’s house several times before, but he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in the library. The walls were lined with shelves that stood several feet higher than him, and there were even some cases scattered about the room. The massive collection had to have taken several decades to accumulate.

He went stiff when he felt Marco place a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at his friend, who was smiling at him.

“Come on Jean,” he said lightheartedly. “You can zone out after we translate those runes.”

His lips quirked up into an awkward smile. He nodded and started forward, making a beeline for the row on his left.

Another search had begun…

* * *

 

The air inside of the building was stuffy and warm. It was difficult to breathe, but she continued to press forward. She stepped lightly, wary of the guards that could be lurking around the corner. If they caught her, it wouldn’t end well.

Mikasa sucked in a deep breath before poking her head around the corner. It wasn’t fair for her to be stuck at the LBH headquarters while her friends stayed behind to deal with what she’d been working to obtain. Information was what they needed, but the most she’d gotten in her months undercover was the copy of an older set of blueprints. Pathetic.

 _Just relax,_ she told herself. The target, a door to an office, was at the opposite end of the hall. She’d heard the guards marching in the opposite direction not too long ago, which meant she had enough time to pick the locks, get what she needed, and leave.

She tugged a hair pin from her bun, causing loose strands to fall in front of her face as she set to work. The lock gave with a satisfying click and she entered, closing the door carefully behind her before she turned on a spark lantern. Charcoal eyes scanned the room before finding what they were looking for. Mikasa strode across the floor and kneeled before a cabinet. Her fingers flipped through dozens of papers and folders. She let out an exasperated huff as she closed the drawer and moved upwards.

 _It’s nothing but customer information,_ Mikasa thought, her face pinching into a scowl as she continued to move upwards.

“You won’t find anything of value in there,” a familiar voice taunted from behind. Mikasa froze before standing up and turning slowly. Annie Leonhardt stood before her, a sly smile tugging at her lips.

“Is that so?” Mikasa challenged, holding her ground.

Annie laughed lightly and she shook her head. Her crystal blue eyes stared up at Mikasa as she stalked across the room, nearing the other girl. “Yes, I’m afraid so. Despite everything, mine is not the office to break into for information.”

The taller girl remained stiff, but the moment Annie reached up to cradle her cheek she relaxed into it. The false sense of security she offered. The sharp features of her face that drove Mikasa mad, and for whatever reason managed to distract her from her prior motives.

“You know I won’t tell them,” Annie said gently, bringing up her other hand to hold Mikasa’s face. Her thumbs brushed over soft pale cheeks before she stood on her toes to kiss her. Mikasa allowed it and relaxed her shoulders, leaning down slightly to return the kiss, her lips moving rushed against the other’s.

Annie’s arms fell and she wrapped them around Mikasa’s waist, deepening the kiss. Mikasa turned them around, forcing Annie’s back into the file cabinet as she continued. The smaller girl let out a breathy gasp before continuing.

Moments later Annie broke off the kiss, forcing Mikasa to look at her. “Why do you do it?” she asked, breathless. “You steal from the company and give it to _them,_ don’t you? What’s the point? You’ve seen what we’re doing. I don’t understand why you insist on fighting it.”

Mikasa closed her eyes, licking at her lips. Annie had taken to her the moment she entered LBH and from there it had been getting harder and harder to leave. She rarely went to her own home, where her brother would be waiting for her. Instead, for nearly the last month, Annie had taken them both back to her home almost every night. Nothing mattered there. The company? Wings? The automatons? None a single bit of it mattered.

Things weren’t meant to be like this, but as of late Mikasa had been using it as an excuse. She’d told Levi that she was taking later shifts, doing her best to find something that would be useful. She was too good of a liar. He hadn’t suspected a single thing as far as she knew.

Annie noticed that she was thinking too hard. Her face had pinched slightly and her brows had furrowed. The blonde took hold of the other’s hands and brought her in for another kiss.

“Don’t fight it,” she said, her voice gentle. It was a tone she only ever used when the two were alone. Beyond Annie was cruel, vicious even. Her coworkers found her terrifying, but they respected her. She was a brilliant researcher responsible for many of the techniques used for the automatons. She was one of the three that actually had real control over them. Any alchemist could neutralize the runes, but for whatever reason they had total control.

As Annie led her out the door, she felt her thoughts go in a thousand different directions. But the one where she imagined them together at Annie’s house drowned out the rest as they made their way out of the stuffy building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Yup, totally not pairing oriented. Mhm...)
> 
> Like I said. Short. Barely 4000 words, so I'm kinda kicking myself over that. It was more character introduction, but things will go down eventually, trust me. It's a work in progress but I'm trying to make this as good as I can get it.
> 
> Before you go, please leave some feedback? I love comments so much. Feedback helps me grow as a writer, so let's see what happens.
> 
> And on that note, I will now take my leave. Take care darlings, and I'll see you next time <3


	3. Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just want to keep you close...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I am so _so_ sorry that this took me over two months to update. I've been rather occupied with my main series and oneshots until recently. But I found time to work on this during all of that chaos! I hope it's good, because there was a moment of writer's block while I was writing this. It's not very long, but you'll get some action in the next installment. 
> 
> [Shameless tumblr insert](http://hopeless-alchemist.tumblr.com)

* * *

 

The grandfather clock on the far side of the room chimed loudly, the echoing of the gongs causing Jean to stir. Three, four, five chimes went off before finally stopping. Brows furrowing, he looked around the library. Eren and Armin were lying against each other on the couch, sleeping soundly. Marco was lying beside him, asleep with his head resting in Jean’s lap. The younger boy smiled gently, his hand moving to run his fingers through his friend’s soft brown hair.

 _Made it through another day, it seems,_ he thought, breathing deeply as he relaxed his neck and let his head fall against the bookcase behind him. _We’re still safe…_

Jean sighed though his nose and attempted to stay as still as possible, refusing to move in case he woke up Marco. He closed his eyes and allowed his thoughts to travel while he continued to play with the older boy’s hair.

The previous day had dragged on slowly. Armin was kind enough to allow them all to stay through the night, even offering them food. Marco had felt incredibly guilty about being a bother, and the two had gone back and forth insisting one thing or the other. Eren and Jean had watched from the side, trying their hardest to not laugh at the other two.

By the time night had fallen Eren was already passed out on the couch, snoring loudly until Armin had taken a place beside him. While they slept, Jean and Marco had continued to look through the massive collection attempting to find anything about the unfamiliar terms. Animiongaes was still a mystery, but their attempts to translate vitaes were successful.

Roughly translated, the term stood for “healing metal”. Upon doing more research they’d found various charms related to it, each pertaining to a different metal that could be affected. Amazingly no alchemical rules were broken with these charms. The metal was self-reparable.

The two had conversed about what this could mean, and why LBH had charmed their newer automatons with this. It went against what a company usually tried to market. By charming the automatons it removed the need for mechanics and more or less made maintenance unnecessary. Hundreds of people across the districts would lose their jobs when the newer models were integrated into society. That didn’t sound at all like the kind of face LBH usually put on.

On top of mechanics losing their jobs, the company was setting themselves up for a potential collapse. Once the people had these products, there was no need for them to ever work with LBH again. After all the payments had been made, the higher ups would be set for life (they were already), but what was the point in destroying what they’d been working for over a quarter of a century to develop?

By the time midnight had rolled around, Marco had fallen asleep. Since then Jean had been in a half-awake state, busying himself with the endless questions as he attempted to fight the urge to sleep. His desire to keep Marco in the dark was damaging him, but he wasn’t willing to face the nightmares in someone else’s home.

They stayed there for a short period of time, Jean eventually nodding off. He was awakened by Marco shaking him gently. Whiskey eyes met light amber, a smile playing with his friend’s freckled face.

“Come on, Jean. Wake up,” he said carefully, leaning forward to place a kiss on his lips. Jean furrowed his brows, still groggy from sleep and confused about what was happening. Marco pulled back and smiled, offering a hand. “Armin got some breakfast for us.”

Jean nodded and stood. He seethed and stumbled back against the bookcase, his vision going black for a brief moment. Sleeping upright had not done him any good.

“Are you okay!?” Marco asked, panic in his tone as reached out to touch his shoulders.

Jean cracked a smile at this, his eyes opening to meet the other’s brown orbs. Worry creased Marco’s forehead, making him look as nervous as he sounded.

“I’m okay,” Jean confirmed, stepping forward to kiss Marco. The freckle-face furrowed his brows, confused. When he pulled back he offered Marco his hand, smiling crookedly. “Let’s go.”

Marco was still a bit confused, and slightly dazed from the unexpected kiss, but he didn’t argue. Clearing his throat, he straightened out his back and took Jean’s hand in his flesh one. Jean gave a reassuring squeeze and the two left the library.

“Are we going to go back to the base later?” Marco asked, glancing down at Jean.

“Probably,” Jean said, starting to zone out. “Hopefully Levi is actually there this time. Erwin too, if possible. They’ll both want to know.”

“We should tell Eren and Armin first,” the brunette reasoned. “I don’t want any fights to start while we’re there. Levi would get pissed.”

Jean’s face pinched at the thought of an angry Levi. The man was tiny, but terrifying. “Yeah, good point.”

Marco let out a short laugh as they turned into the dining/kitchen area. Armin startled at the sound of them stepping in. With a sigh, he relaxed.

“Good morning,” the blonde said, offering them a smile before returning to whatever it was he was cooking.

Smiling, Marco let of Jean’s hand and pulled back slightly. It was odd for him to become shy, but nothing too unusual considering the company. He and Jean were extremely close, but they still didn’t know what to call each other, other than ‘housemates’.

“What’s for breakfast?” Jean asked with a yawn, pulling an arm around Marco’s shoulder (more for the support than anything else). He was still tired and had yet to get any real sleep.

“There’s coffee and some bread,” Armin answered. “I’m making eggs if you’re interested.”

With a shake of his head Jean pulled away from Marco and moved to the counter, opening up a cupboard and pulling out a mug for his coffee. It was still hot, steam wafting upwards for a moment before he blew on it. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window. His hair was disheveled and the skin beneath his eyes was dark purple, almost as though he’d been bruised.

 _No wonder Marco was so concerned,_ he thought, bringing the rim to his lips as he turned away.

Armin quickly took control of the conversation as he shoveled eggs onto two plates. “Did you guys find out anything before you fell asleep?” he asked.

“We did, actually,” Marco answered. “It’s not much, but it is progress.”

“Progress will have to be good enough for now,” Armin commented, reaching to turn off the stove. He picked up the plates and carried them into a room just to the side. The other two followed him.

Eren was slumped against a round table, and for a moment Jean though that he was asleep. The heavy sigh that caused the boy’s body to shift slightly told him otherwise. Once Armin was seated beside him he sat up, nodding a lazy thank you before eating. Even though he didn’t live there, Eren had more or less become a part of the Arlert estate.

“So what did you guys find out?” Eren asked, taking a bite out of his food. Green orbs flickered upwards, briefly meeting amber and brown before settling on Jean.

He shifted uncomfortably where he stood, staring into his mug. “We found out what one of those terms means, and some background on it. Vitaes, otherwise known as ‘healing metal’. Combined with the fusing alchemy, the automatons LBH has created are nearly indestructible. And even when damaged they’re self-reparable.”

“How is that possible?” Eren questioned, his food all but forgotten as he started thinking. “Don’t you alchemists have laws and rules about that kind of thing?”

Jean’s face pinched slightly at being called an alchemist but he brushed it off. “We do, but for whatever reason this is able to bypass some of those. It’s being used in the same way as a healing charm.” He nodded to Marco and swallowed. “It’s like what I had to use. It’s not creating matter from nothing; it’s just repairing it using the material available. If you take it apart then it won’t rebuild itself, but if it broken the two pieces would be able to come together again.”

Eren’s eyes widened at the sound of this. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope,” he said, taking another swig of his coffee. Already it was getting cold.

“That would make it nearly indestructible! Why aren’t other companies doing that?”

Armin looked at Eren with a puzzled expression. “What do you mean ‘other companies’? LBH is the only one in the three districts, and we have no clue what it’s like beyond this area.”

There was something in the way Eren looked at his friend that made Jean freeze. It was a well-known fact that Eren wasn’t a fan of living in the districts. But because the community was so tightly knit, hardly anyone had reason to go beyond the lines.  There was food, water, housing, forests. It was simple and easy. Jean knew that Eren would have left long ago, but with Armin and Mikasa still working with Wings he’d been waiting for them.

“Yeah,” Eren said after a moment, sitting a little straighter. “Forgot about that.”

“In any case, we should go back to the base when we can,” Marco spoke up, finally contributing to the conversation. “If Levi and Erwin are there, I’m sure they’ll be able to make some sense of it.”

The other three nodded and a comfortable silence fell over them. Once Eren and Armin were done with their food, they would set off.

 

* * *

 

The sweet smell of the sheets filled her nose as she stirred awake. The energy of everything made the room feel perfect. As Mikasa woke, she struggled to remember where she was. Her charcoal eyes opened and she saw gold.

Now she remembered.

Annie’s still sleeping form was tucked against her torso, their legs tangled together. Mikasa bit down on her tongue. She’d done it again. She’d allowed herself to go with the other and once again they slept bare against each other.

With a sigh she lifted her hand up to Annie’s head. Her golden hair was soft and moved like silk beneath her fingers as she ran them through it. Annie stirred slightly and her eyes opened lazily, bright blue orbs looking up at her.

“Good morning,” Mikasa said quietly.

Annie shook her head and nuzzled against Mikasa’s chest. “Morning means waking up, and waking up means work,” she growled.

A smile tugged at her face as she continued to comb through Annie’s hair. She didn’t understand what it was about her. Annie was vicious and strong. She had to be for the position she held in the company. But as soon as they were alone she dropped the act. The two were drawn to each other.

“We have to go to work,” Mikasa sighed.

Shaking her head again Annie unfolded her arms and met Mikasa’s gaze, her hands traveling to her back and fingers brushing against her spine. Shivers ran through the younger girl’s body and her hands became fists around Annie’s gold locks. The smaller girl smiled devilishly, having the advantage of knowing exactly how she could get the other to melt.

“Do we?” The feather light touches returned and her hands traveled down her back and hips. Mikasa shuddered under her touch. Annie smiled as she leaned forward and started trailing kisses along her collarbone, causing her lover’s breath to catch. She tried to move her hands further down but was stopped.

Mikasa held her breath, trying to slow her heartbeat. There was a part of her that regretted stopping Annie, but there were things that needed to be done. They could continue this later, another sleepless night when they returned from the company.

“Yes,” she said after a moment. “We do.”

Annie ceased what she as doing and looked up at her, sapphire eyes scanning her face. Sighing, she admitted defeat and backed away to get up. Mikasa stared at her bare back, watching as she got dressed, before getting up to do the same.

They moved in silence, neither fond of heavy conversation. Besides, they’d been doing this for long enough that by that point it was simply routine. They assisted with each other’s corset strings, braided and pinned up their hair. And then they made their way into the city by steam cab.

The driver never asked questions about why they rode together, and the drive was silent as well.

That was how the rest of their time together was spent that morning. Silent. Annie stole one last kiss before the two parted ways, pretending as if nothing was going on. It was their little secret…

 

* * *

 

As usual, the expression Levi wore was plain. He was so straight-faced through their explanation that it was unsettling. The only one not fazed by anything was Hanji. The rest of Levi’s team was there as well, but not in the workshop. It was only those two and the younger boys.

Hanji was the first to speak when they were done. There was excitement in her gaze and a massive smile across her face. “Jean, do you think that you could charm an automaton so that it could heal itself? Replicate the process?” she questioned, her tone completely giddy.

He shifted where he stood, keeping his arms folded across his chest. “It’s possible, but it takes a lot of energy.”

 _I’d probably pass out the moment I start,_ he thought.

“So you can?” Levi said, expression shifting slightly as he furrowed his brows.

“Well… yes,” he admitted.

“Then that’s your next assignment. We’ll need a sample to experiment on,” the older man said, folding his arms over his chest while grey eyes remained cold.

Jean nodded, keeping as straight a face as possible while trying to not lash out at his superior. _Fuck._

“What about the other terms?” Hanji asked.

“We tried, but we haven’t found anything yet.”

Levi’s stone-faced glare returned. “ _Yet_?”

“Yes. If given a few days I’m certain we could successfully translate the rest of them,” he said, swallowing as he swayed slightly, pulling together his strength. The lack of sleep was starting to take effect, the coffee from earlier losing its power. He didn’t want anyone worrying about him, but he looked and felt horrible.

“You take care of that then.” Levi’s gaze turned to the others. “Jaeger, I’m going to need you to work with Hanji this afternoon. While we know the automaton won’t work without the runes, but there are other aspects that could use your expertise.”

Eren froze when he was called out, but it made sense. “Y-Yes, sir.”

He nodded. “Good. I have some things I need to tell Hanji, so you four go into the break room until we’re finished.”

They did as told and left the basement, closing the door once they were in the hallway. Marco rested a hand on Jean’s shoulder.

“You okay?” the freckle face asked.

Jean bit at the inside of his cheek. _Stop worrying about me, dammit!_

“Mostly,” he replied, rubbing at his face and running a hand through his hair. A traitorous yawn passed his lips and he swore under his breath. “Just… tired.”

“You didn’t get any real sleep last night, did you?” Marco said carefully.

With a shake of his head Jean continued into the break room. It was a simple room with a couch and table with chairs around it. The other two sat at the table, much to Jean’s relief. He preferred the couch.

As usual he and Marco sat side by side, the eldest on Jean’s right so they would be the most comfortable. A sigh passed between Jean’s lips as he leaned into his friend, eyes closing as gentle fingers ran through his hair to help him relax.

“So can you do it?” Eren asked from across the room. “That charm thing?”

“Probably,” Jean admitted, clearing his throat and opening his eyes to meet the distant gaze. “I’m more than likely going to pass out from the rebound, though. It could knock me out from a few hours to a few days, not that Levi cares.”

Armin’s blue eyes grew wide at this. “Is it really that dangerous?”

“Considering what the charm does, yes,” he replied, nodding. Marco continued to comb through his hair as he spoke. “The charm is making the metal self reparable, which is bypassing a lot of alchemical rules with no consequence. The equal amount of energy it takes to do that will be reflected back on the alchemist controlling the charm, and then some. In this case, it’s going to be directed towards me.”

“How can a charm do that?” Eren asked, brow raised.

“It’s difficult to explain to someone that hasn’t studied it for most of their life, but alchemy has laws of equivalency. The amount of energy that it takes for something like this to exist has to come from somewhere, so it sucks the energy from the performer.” His expression pinched slightly before relaxing.

_Erwin needs to get more alchemists on this case, or Marco’s gonna end up finding me dead on the workshop floor…_

“In other words,” he continued, “considering the complexity of this charm, the after effects could be pretty extreme.”

“Is there any way to alleviate any of the effects?” Armin asked.

Jean shook his head. “Unless Erwin has another alchemist or researcher hiding out around here that could help, there isn’t.”

Armin was quiet for a moment, looking down at his lap for a moment. “What if… what if I tried to help?”

The group stared at him in disbelief. “What?” Jean asked, pulling away from Marco and sitting up.

“It wouldn’t be too hard,” the blond said. “I’ve read enough about alchemy and the way it works that I should be able to help to an extent.”

Frowning, Jean folded his arms across his chest. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think it would help that much. These runes require skill that takes a lot of time to acquire.”

“Just because you’re a prodigy, doesn’t mean that I can’t be of any use!” Armin argued, raising his voice and surprising the others. He swallowed and looked down again, hiding behind his bangs. “I… I rarely get a chance to do anything to help the group. If there’s anything I can do, I want to do it.”

Eren looked less than enthusiastic about the idea, but bit his tongue to silence himself. Jean looked between the two, thinking about the idea.

_On one hand the odds of me passing out are lower, but on the other there’s a chance that Armin will get hurt as well. I don’t want anyone in danger because of me, and Eren’ll throw a fit if Armin gets hurt. But if he really wants to help…_

“I guess you can help,” Jean decided. “Just know what you’re getting into.”

Armin’s expression brightened and he nodded. “I have an idea.”

“Only if you’re sure,” he said, watching Armin carefully. As excited as the blond seemed, he could only hope he really was certain.

 

* * *

 

Marco and Jean had left sometime after that to get things ready for the next day. Eren remained at the base, continuing on work that Hanji had left him to do. Armin was on the opposite end of the workshop, reading something. It was hard for the brunet to focus when all he could think about was what Jean had said.

_I don’t like this,_ he thought, biting his tongue as he returned his gaze to the automaton. _Who cares if Kirschtien gets hurt? He’s used to all that alchemy shit by now, he’ll be fine. But Armin? He has no clue what he’s getting into, alchemy is terrifying and he’s risking his life._

“Eren?” Armin’s voice asked. “Are you okay? You’re staring at nothing.”

He huffed and tossed the tools down, stepping away from the bench and raising his hands to his head so he could run his hands through his hair. He seethed as he clenched his teeth, pent up frustration threatening to cause him to snap.

“Eren?”

“I don’t get it!” he exploded, causing Armin to jump. He walked to the opposite side of the room, ranting. “You’re smarter than this. Alchemy is not something to mess with, you and I both know that! So why are you doing this? What’s the point!?”

Blue eyes met green as he stared in shock. Eren’s breathing had grown shallow and shaky. Reaching out to his friend, he repeated himself, “Eren…”

“I get that you want to help,” he said, cutting him off. “But you’re risking your life.”

They were silent for a moment before Armin spoke up, tone firm. “I know what I’m doing, Eren,” he said, holding their gazes together. Eren stared in disbelief. “Please trust me with this. I’ve read enough about alchemy and things like that that I’m sure I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry.”

_That won’t stop me from worrying!_

He didn’t say this, however. He just continued to bite his tongue, hating the situation. He’d overheard Levi talking to Hanji about LBH and how he had a bad feeling about what was going on. The company had been rather shady as of late, though had given the public no reason to fear what went on behind closed doors. For Wings, on the other hand, they’d always been apprehensive when it came to the company. They’d kept a close eye on things while simultaneously managing to avoid too much attention. But with the new product and the suspicious runes, he figured it was only a matter of time before things escalated.

“Eren,” Armin said, reaching up to him again and taking further control of the situation. He pulled Eren down to his level, maintaining the held gaze as he pressed his lips against Eren’s. The other boy’s eyes grew wide when Armin broke off the kiss, the blond laughing while his face burned. “I promise, everything will be fine. Now get back to work.”

Still flustered, Eren bumped into the workbench as he tried to return to his spot. Armin laughed again, not helping the flush that colored his cheeks.

_I’m holding you to that promise…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Oh fuck me, it's becoming pairing oriented... Ugh, oh well. at least now I can practice writing smut)  
> Part of me was tempted to go further with the mikani action, but I agreed with Mikasa on the grounds that they have work that needs to be doing. As much as I want this to be plot based, the desire to write in some hot and heavy scenes with some of these pairings is great. I've never even written real smut before though, so I doubt you guys'll get anything heavy.
> 
> Porn aside! I'm sorry for the shitty length, I'm still in the process of working out some kinks. But you will be getting some stuff come next chapter and I'm praying to whatever god may exist that next time it'll be over 4000 words because this length is stupid short. It'll mainly be based over Jean and Armin working on that automaton, Mikasa coming home for the first time in a while and Eren trying to figure her out, and then some other plot stuff for you all. 
> 
> Until then, however, I have something of a life to get to. Please leave some feedback, because you all know how much I love it.   
> Take care loves <3


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